2 comments about Maps to Anywhere (Association of Writers and Writing Programs Award for Creative Nonfiction).

1. I read this book so long ago but just had to be the first to post a review...

   This is what essays are all about. It's a fun, informative, and smartly written jaunt through a culture and individual life.

   Wonderful!




2. This book contains many essays. Some are one to two page long observations, others are more personal. The more personal ones are the heart of this book. The essays about his relationship with his father are very good. The longest entry is entitled "The House of the Future". It is roughly thirty pages long and it is beautiful. It is worth buying this book just to read this one essay, which is about the death of his older brother. I could not put the book down during this essay. The language and images are extremely vivid, and the story is enveloping. I didn't really care for some of the shorter pieces, but "The House of the Future" is one of the best pieces I have read in a long time.

1 comments about Rand McNally Georgia Easy to Read (Rand McNally Easy to Read!).

1. Easy to read, and the map includes a copyright date. This helps when it's time to replace old maps with updated ones.

2 comments about Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia Map.

1. Just returned from extensive visit to the country of Georgia and am pleased to report that this map was an excellent tool for familiarization and planning, as well as being an immense help getting around while there. I also had a larger scale map of Georgia alone, but this map proved more useful since it shows more of the small villages and uses the same Latin spellings as the Georgians do (major cities are also labeled in Georgian).



2. This map is a stunning value and a real beauty. The description truly does not do it justice: in addition to the nations listed in the title (and well defined borders for the breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia), the map features much of Turkey's Black Sea coast (down to Lake Van), Russia from Novorossiysk to the Caspian Sea (including contentious provinces like Dagestan and Chechnya), and the north-western tip of Iran.

5 comments about A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to Georgia (Canoeing & Kayaking Guides - Menasha).

1. This is easily the most superbly detailed hiking guidebook for the St. Louis area that I've ever seen. The author has actually hiked every trail he writes about and I plan to make good use of this book.



2. This books provides great detail about floatable sections of the rivers and creeks around the state. They are broken down by region and section of the river. There is also supporting information for some of the rivers like discussion with the paddlers involved in the making of the river scenes of the movie Deliverance on the Chattooga river. In my opinion, this is an excellent resource for the canoer/kayaker/fisher.



3. Great book for the outdoor addict. Our state is blessed with plenty of paddling and fishing opportunities on our rivers. This book ensures you know where to go, how long it will take, and what you will see. Did not give a five due to several of the maps/roads being slightly outdated. This book has been a great help in providing plenty of weekend excursions.



4. I found this book a relatively little use in a recent trip to the Altamaha basin. During my limited scouting, I found at least five errors on the maps which resulted in extra miles driven. Moreover, the narrative fails to mention the pervasive impact of the pulp plant stench on enjoyment of the lower river. I wonder if the information available has really been updated from the earlier guidebooks. While there is some useful information in this book, I strongly recommend using online sources and local maps to augment trip planning.



5. Very good information about put in/take out places. Directions good. All necessay information on rivers and creeks is included. One other bit of information could have been included, however, detailed descriptions, or landmarks, or physical features identifiable from the water to help guage distance traveled. Examples of these are illustrated in "The Georgia Coast-Waterways and Islands" by Nancy Schwalbe Zydler and Tom Zydler on pages 81 thru 108 regarding the Savannah River. Specifically, this information is labeled "Shoreline Descriptions for Savannah River Chart # 2 thru 17.

2 comments about Trekking The Southern Appalachians: The Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia (Backpacker Magazine).

1. For backpackers wanting to do tough trails with 12-18 mile days. Clear information, excellent photos, nice little maps too.
   
   This is so much better than your typical Falcoln 3 mile loop hike book with scattered, inaccurate information. I used this book for the Art Loeb Trail and it was extremely helpful. I hope to do more of the trips in the book too.



2. If you are interested in the premier long trails of the SE US, then I recommend this book. This book is a great planning aid. The trail descriptions have just enough detail for planning but not specific "every turn" descriptions. I have hiked several of the featured hikes in this book. I have found that the maps and overviews are accurate.
   There are some good photos in the book too.

2 comments about Hiking Georgia, 3rd: A Guide to Georgia's Greatest Hiking Adventures (State Hiking Series).

1. In a state with such varied geography as Georgia, plenty of good hiking can be found. This guide will go a long way toward helping you find the best hiking Georgia has to offer.
   
   From Chickamauga Battlefield near Chattanooga to Cumberland Island Seashore in the southeast, this guide describes 83 hiking destinations in Georgia. The distribution is fairly even throughout the state, though the north Georgia mountains carry a slightly higher weight, mainly due to Chattahoochee National Forest. Hikes range in difficulty from a 0.5 mile boardwalk stroll through Okefenokee Swamp to a rugged 13.7 mile hike on the Coosa Backcountry trail. People of all abilities will find suitable hikes in this book.
   
   Each hike features a thorough and well-written overview, directions to the trailhead, a bare-bones but adequate trail map, and a written description of the trail. The trail descriptions vary quite a bit in quality with some descriptions lacking details to really make the hike come alive. Overall, however, the descriptions are informative and rather good. In addition to the 83 hiking destinations, the author describes 6 longer trails (such as the Appalachian Trail) in a short section near the end of the book. While the descriptions found in this book are not sufficient if you are planning an extended backpack trip, they do provide a good introduction to the longer trails and suggest some nice day-hiking loops.
   
   Perhaps the greatest drawback with this guide is it's over reliance on trails located on state and federal lands. Indeed, every hike in this book except one describes a national forest, national park, national seashore, state park, or state wildlife area. While any comprehensive guide would rely heavily on these areas, this author seems to ignore the fact that many fine hiking experiences await on trails that do not fall into any of these categories. For example, here in Athens we have the Georgia Botanical Garden, Oconee Forest Park (operated by University of Georgia), and Sandy Creek Nature Center (operated by Athens-Clarke County). A more obvious omission is Stone Mountain Park, which features a fine 6.2 mile trail around the mountain, one of the best trails in the state, in my opinion. While lists and brief descriptions of state and federal trails can be found on the web, guides like this can serve to highlight some lesser-known hiking destinations that are not as easily found. This guide doesn't take that opportunity.
   
   In summary, while the lack of variety in lands is enough to dock this guide a star, this is still the most comprehensive guide to hiking the entire state available on the market right now. Thus, if you are interested in hiking in the Peach State, this guide should probably find a place on your bookshelf.



2. Almost nobody buys a book for hikes of 1-2 miles; this book has too many short hikes. Surprisingly, many nice day hikes, in North GA especially, are not even listed. This book is helpful to a degree, but it could have been done better by omitting so many short hikes and adding good 5-12 mile hikes.

5 comments about Exploring the Appalachian Trail: Georgia North Carolina Tennessee.

1. If you're planning to hike a small day or two-day section of the Appalachian trail in or around NC, this is the book for you. I wanted to hike a small section of the trail, but I only had two days and had to finish at a very specific point. I used the book to help me plan the hike and it was amazingly easy; none of the obstacles I expected caused problems. The hike went off without a hitch, thanks to the brilliantly organized hiking guide. Aside from the planning aspect, the topographical maps were priceless along the trail. I considered doing the hike without a planning book, but I'm thankful that I used such a quality source.



2. I used this book to plan my first trip to the AT with a group of Boy Scouts. It was extremely useful in selecting my route. Especially useful was the trail summary in the beginning of each chapter. Also equally useful was the hike itinerary, giving distances between significant points. I found, however, the linear trail profile to be slightly misleading on a few sections of the trail. (More useful was the profile found in The Appalachian Trail Official Map from the Appalachian Trail conference.) This day hike book was perfect for my 5 day trip because each hike begins where the other left off. This was vital in my planning and I would highly recommend it for anyone needing a detailed description of the trail. Oh, and don't forget your hand lens. :)



3. I'm probably spoiled by the AMC guides for New England, but I found this book to be somewhat uninvting and lacking in some key areas. The maps weren't all that great they clearly aren't for a guy from the north east who's trying to find his way through the red dirt maze that is North Georgia. Directions to the trailheads could be markedly improved, as some (particularly the ones I used) use forest service roads that park rangers (let alone easily purchased maps) don't know well.

   The copy and descriptions are good once I got to the trailhead, and organized linearly along the trail. I really enjoyed the plots of trail elevation over distance.




4. I checked this book out of my local library and found it to be the most informative book on the AT. The sections of the AT that I have personally hiked were very well covered in this book.It is very difficult to find accurate maps with tons of land marks and information the terrain. As well as a well thought out itinerary so you may better gauge your time and enjoy the trail, rather than worrying about where you are going to find water and shelter. So now I'm on amazon.com to buy this book to use on my next visit to the AT.



5. PLEASE NOTE: THERE are NOT 170 hikes in the book. The whole series must contain that many.
   
   I own 3 books in this series. The Southern Appalachian, the Virginias, and the Mid-Atlantic States guide. I have found these books to be a great aid in planning hikes, especially 2-3 day backpacking trips. Since most of these hikes are either one-way or round trip (as opposed to circuit hikes) you either need to have two cars or plan on seeing the same sites twice. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but other books have better circuit hikes.
   
   This series IS very informative, not only with regards to the actually hike, but also the history both natural and otherwise of the area you are hiking in.
   
   I have not used this edition as much as I have the other 2 guides that I own in this series, but it did come in handy during a spur of the moment trip to NC/TENN. The maps could be a little better, as they are topographical maps with a green line for the trail.. They are adequate, but I've seen better.
   
   All 45 hikes come with a description, a map, an elevation profile, and an itinerary, as well as various other information.
   
   When planning for a hike I do tend to use this book in conjunction with other books, but I usually take this book (or copies of the pages) on the actual hike itself. The fact that the pages are so small allows for easier handling and storage of the laminated pages during the trip.
   
   So if you enjoy hiking and are near the AT while in the 'Southern Appalchians', you may want to take a look at this book. It is well worth the money.

5 comments about The Best in Tent Camping: Georgia: A Guide for Car Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos.

1. Don't know where to go? Use this guide -- including regional maps! -- to find a site close to you or close to where you are traveling. It's rating system gives you a means to compare sites.



2. Most campground books give information on camping based on RV's. It is really difficult to find good information for tent camping. But this book gives wonderful descriptions of camp sites, trails, facilities, and other activities from the viewpoint of a tent camper. He tells which sites are the most enjoyable for people that like to experience nature and want to avoid concrete jungles. Each campground listed has a small illustration showing the camp sites and surrounding area. I especially like the ratings for beauty, privacy, spaciousness, quiet, security, and cleanliness. It is also very handy to have the information about nearby trails. I do wish the numbers on the state map showing the location of the campgrounds were bigger. I had to use a magnifying glass to see the numbers. Even so, this book is a definite "MUST" for all tent campers headed to Georgia.



3. This is a great guide for camping in Georgia. It gives you a pretty detailed description of what are the best sites in a camp and prices. This is by no means the only camping areas in the state but has showed me many areas that I didn't know of before getting the book. It includes state parks and national forests so there are going to be a wide range of prices so you know where to go for the cheap.



4. Excellent resource to camping in Georgia. This book has all the details needed for planning weekend camping excursions. Highly recommended.



5. My husband and I enjoy tent camping, and we've found this book a great resource for camping in Georgia. We have been to about 8 or 10 of the campgrounds featured in this book, and each time we've found the review spot on. We also enjoy having the book with us, as we make our own notes and personal observations in the margins - which is very helpful for referring to later.
   
   The book includes valuable information of not just the park as a whole, but also advice as to where in the campground is best for tents and gives a review of things to do in the area. It helps us know what we'll need to pack (i.e. buckets to carry water, or are there spigots at the campsite?). I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys tent camping.

5 comments about Georgia Atlas & Gazetteer.

1. This State Map is the best I can find. I have several of these, and use them frequently to choose routes that I want to travel. The Best!



2. ALL DeLORME Atlases & Gazetteers are:
   ULTIMATE (printed) EARTH GUIDES
   
   The DeLORME is a superb visual representation of terrain and every feature of the landscape with a listing of Trails, Fresh Water & Salt Water Fishing Sites; Hunting Areas; Recreation Areas; Historic Sites; Unique Natural Features; Campground and Primitive Sites; Attractions, State Parks, Federal Lands, State & County Lines (borders), power lines (great for traversing areas or following out of wilderness if temporarily lost), private airports as well as large airports, and much more.
   
   This is not a `city map' with every street named and is more for the vacationer or outdoor enthusiast. Every street is shown, with main streets named. This is more for planning a vacation, canoe or kayak trip, hiking, off-roading on Jeep trails (shown), finding boat ramps, trail heads and so on.
   
   GPS (WGS84 datum) tick marks and grid lines are on each page. The terrain is masterfully represented by detailed color-coded shading with elevation lines clearly showing flat areas as well as rises in terrain allowing one to picture the terrain before seeing it.
   
   The pages show boat ramps, lakes, ponds, creeks, streams, water falls, springs, swamps, forests mountains, trails, old abandoned railroad grades (great for hiking), military bases, Indian Reservations, bridges, fire towers, and back country details galore.
   
   SIZE MATTERS: Pages are 11" x 15"; representing approx. 30 miles. X 40 mi. The back outer-cover shows the whole state. Great for quickly estimating mileage & travel time by looking at the page-grids. Forty minutes North-South, 30 minutes E-W in rural areas and more for populated areas or steep mountainous roads.
   
   In summary: A lot of bang for your buck!



3. It is always great to have one of these on hand if you are planning any kind of trip or if someone gets lost. Lifesaver in my opinion. Great!



4. If you want to get off the Interstate highways, have ever wondered, "Where does that road go?", or been stuck in traffic wishing you knew an alternate route, then DeLorme Atlases are for you. They show all the back roads that a typical state map doesn't. And they provide information on attractions, campgrounds, recreation (everything from fishing and hunting to museums and historic site), scenic drives, trails, and unique natural features. Don't throw your regular state map away though because the DeLorme maps don't show which roads are 2 lane or 4 lanes or more. And the maps are not detailed enough to navigate through cities but they do show the main roads.
   
   The Georgia atlas is in their new format with better topographical detail and page to page overlaps so you don't have to guess if the road on one page is the same one as that on another page. There are 60 pages of maps and 12 pages of information. I used the Florida, Georgia and South Carolina atlases extensively to take a leisurely exploratory trip from the Tampa Bay area back to my home state of NC. I never take a trip without them.



5. This is a must have for every Georgia driver, especially if you like to travel back roads. Very valuable when stuck in traffic on the main highways. Easy to select an alternate route.

5 comments about The Best Little Map of Savannah, GA..

1. Could not do with out this map.This map is invaluable when visiting the Historic District. I have to order another one since we used this one so much.



2. My boyfriend and I stayed in Forsyth Park and anybody who's been there is aware that that area is a bit aways from "everything else". The map was a wonderful aide in finding "EVERYTHING else"; especially, Ms. Wilkes boarding house. EAT THERE! It's amazing!!
   
   I was very pleased with my purchase and I wouldn't have made it without the guidence from all the others that have purchased this little map and reviewed it :)



3. Excelllent to use and easy to ready, it made our trip to Savannah very enjoable!



4. I am very disappointed in this map. We had hoped to use it on a trip to Savannah for our niece's wedding. We wanted to locate the wedding site and the reception site and the nearby hotels. This map shows the shops of the historic district and gives oversight maps of some of the neighboring areas, Midtown, Southside but there is no detail. It does not identify where Midtown and Southside are in relation to the historic district. Do not buy this as a map in planning a visit. Maybe a cute reminder of where you went in Savannah.The Best Little Map of Savannah, GA.



5. I still cannot believe that I spent money on this. The Best Little Map of Savannah, GA.